Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith is a musician, and currently wrestles for World Wrestling Entertainment. He is a former Intercontinental, Tag Team, World Heavyweight, and current WWE Champion. He is also a two time King of The Ring winner, and winner of the Bragging Rights Champion of Champions tournament. His championship distinction has earned him the title "Grand Slam Champion", something that very few wrestlers can claim. He has most successfull rate of WWE Championship defenses. The previous record was ten, tied between David Bowie and Frank TJ Mackey. He is also the longest reigning WWE Champion with over thirteen months holding the gold. He was trained by the late Heath Ledger just months before his untimely passing, and was later mentored by Steven "William" Regal. Smith's career began with a bang, when less than a month after debuting he defeated David Bowie in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament, earning him a shot at Summerslam for the World Heavyweight Championship. And just over three months after debuting, he won the World Heavyweight Championship for the first of three times. Towards the end of his first year, he joined with Wade Barrett, and other rookies to form the Nexus stable. In the following months, he would go on to win the World Heavyweight Championship, and Intercontinental Championship. At this time he was stuck on the Smackdown brand, something he expressed frustration with privately and publically. That would continue for the next few years. He would continue to win consistently through the next couple of years, even headlining Wrestlemania VI against Brian Eno, losing his World Heavyweight Championship. He would go on to win the Championship back the next month at the Ground Zero: In Your House event. The next year would be a series of ups and downs, culiminating with an entry into the fifth King of the Ring, which he would go on to win, albeit in a controversial way, turning from fan favorite into the most hated by causing his then current Tag Team Partner CM Punk to lose his World Heavyweight Championship match to Patrick Bateman. This was later revealed as a way for Smith to get into the stable formed by William Regal, which at the time was Regal and Patrick Bateman. They would go on to assist Smith in winning his second King of the Ring Tournament. Bateman would go on to be dropped from the stable after losing the World Heavyweight Championship. Smith would go on to defeat Wade Barrett for the WWE Championship, setting up the most successfull year of his career. In October at the Bragging Rights: In Your House event, Smith defeated Driver in a controversial match to determine the "Champion of Champions", thus bringing more prestige and gold to the Smith-Regal stable. At the Royal Rumble, Elliott fought Batman in his most controversial match to date. In the match, Smith tapped out to Batman's crossface not once but twice but because of Regal's distractions the referee never saw. Smith went on to win seconds after Regal was ejected from the arena, via a two feet leverage on the middle rope during a pinfall. The next month Batman won the Elimination Chamber match to determine the # 1 Contender for the WWE Champion to be decided at Wrestlemania VIII. This match was unfortunately never to be. Midway through the Wrestlemania VIII event, Bruce Wayne in character as Batman, was struck by an automobile, shattering his back and leaving him crippled momentarily. Smith was immediately questioned, though his alibi checked out and William Regal was eventually blamed and let go of World Wrestling Entertainment. Elliott Smith was in an all out outrage following the release of his mentor, friend and manager stating that there's no reason that he would ever rid Smith of his chance to headline Wrestlemania as the WWE Champion. This statement was met with a general agreement from critics and fans alike, but to no avail. Regal was let go, and Smith carried on alone. Elliott Smith entered the King of the Ring, but was defeated in the first round by then current World Heavyweight Champion Driver. Robert Smith went on to win the tournament and chose Smith as his Summerslam opponent. At July's Money in the Bank event he went on to defeat a returning RoboCock in 18 short seconds. After the devistating attack on Klaus Goldstein by Bane at Summerslam, the main event between E. Smith and R. Smith was called off and postponed until the October In Your House event, Badd Blood. Prior to the Badd Blood event, Smith and tag team partner Tom Waits would win the WWE Tag Team Championship at Summerslam. Smith also debuted a newly designed WWE Championhsip Belt as well as added ECW writer Paul Heyman to his group with Waits. Elliott would go on to defeat Robert Smith at Badd Blood, as well as to successfully defend his championship against Driver in a 60 minute Iron Man match at the year end In Your House event in December, his thirteenth championship defense. the December event, Smith fought through the months of January, February and March defending his WWE Championship once (14th defense) as well as battling new comer Laura Jane Grace in a First Blood Match. This all lead up to his main event contest at Wrestlemania IX against Bruce Springsteen which Smith would go on to win (15th defense). It was revealed after the match that Bane and Bischoff had been in cahoots with Smith during the chaos that had begun since the beginning of Smith's Championship reign. Bane went on to murder Bischoff at the event, setting the stage for what has become known as the "Chaos Era", an era that Smith has become the face of, just as David Bowie before him many years ago. After the television blackout and ending of the brand extension that followed in the wake of the Wrestlemania IX attack, Elliott Smith continued his championship reign into April, May, June and then July battling The Joker, Frank Carter and many others along the way. It was announced that on August 26th at Summerslam, Smith would defend his championship against Giovanni Guisti in a Champion Vs. Champion match to determine the undisputed WWE Champion. Smith won the Championship Match, solidifying his place further amongst the greats of all time.